Report: Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane set for surgery, could miss multiple months

Just a few days after Edmonton Oilers’ color commentator and analyst Bob Stauffer said forward Evander Kane would not be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season, it seems Kane is now officially set for surgery and could miss multiple months.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, there was a slight delay in getting Kane into the operation room, but that has now been cleared up and Kane is expected to undergo surgery. “I believe Evander Kane is going to have surgery,” Friedman said on 32 Thoughts Podcast. “I think that one of the reasons it has taken until this long was because I think there was some conversations about who was going to do it, which doctor, and I think they had to work that out. And I think secondly, I also believe that sometimes in the summer, doctor’s schedules, they take vacations like everyone else, and I think that also kind of affected it. They had to decide who was going to do it, and when was this doctor available. I believe that decision has been made, eventually, he will have the surgery, and he’s going to be out months. I’m not talking one or two months, I’m thinking it’s going to be longer than that.”

The 33-year-old had injury problems late last season that were severe enough to have him miss time in the postseason and reportedly played through a sports hernia for a good chunk of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kane notched four goals and eight points in 20 games during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final, he racked up 24 goals and 20 assists for 44 points in 77 games, the most he had played in a single season in his NHL career.

With Kane set to be on long-term injured reserve for at least a period of time, the Oilers have some flexibility in navigating the offer sheets from St. Louis on Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. It would clear up $5.125 million in cap space, an amount that would go a long way.

Throughout his career, the Vancouver native has scored 326 goals and 291 assists for 617 points in 930 games, with another 43 points coming in 76 postseason contests. During his three seasons with the Oil, he has registered 62 goals and 49 assists in 161 regular-season games, with 30 points in 47 playoff appearances.